


JNPR Semi-finals

by archives222



Category: RWBY
Genre: Betrayal, Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-19 09:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22841782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archives222/pseuds/archives222
Summary: Filling in the gap of how Pyrrha Nikos got to the finals. Original characters for the opponents. Should be canon complaint.





	JNPR Semi-finals

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note:  
> This was written after the release of Volume 3 Episode 7 on Jan 14 2016. Meaning that we have seen the beginning of the finals but not who JRPN fought in the semi-finals. It was canon complient at the time but my hypothosis was proven inaccurate. I still liked it and am publishing it here.
> 
> Old Author's notes  
> I like JRNP more because I see more potential at the moment for story development. Jaune for growing into the role as both Huntsman and leader (even if he will never be an ace), Ren and Nora for exploring their mostly empty past and Pyrrha by being accepted as a person rather than a Paragon. That is also a bit of a reason why I don't like Yang as much from RWBY. I suspect the person she is looking for is her mother and that we say the woman briefly at the end of Vol 2 but with Qrow in the picture, he could easily fill the role. Also I am getting the feeling she is becoming something of an 'Invincible Hero' as the only time she has yet been shown even having trouble is against Neo on little sleep and battle exhaustion. 'Invincible Heroes' never held my interest except when they want to die but cannot.

By the luck of the draw, team JRNP was the last fight of the day.

After making it through the first round, it was an unspoken agreement that Pyrrha would go onto the doubles match. The only question was who would be her second. The lady hoplite herself wanted Jaune to be her second. However everyone but the young man himself saw that for an excuse for her to work with him. As the team captain, Jaune though either Nora or Ren should go in. Nora due to fact she was the powerhouse on the team. Ren because he would cover long range while Pyrrha worked short and to provide a greater degree of diversity.

In the end, Ren got the second spot.

They were going up against team JAGG, perhaps one of the oddest teams in the entire tournament as they were not officially a part of any of the four kingdoms but rather from a settlement on the dragon shaped island in the North West. They had entered under Shade Academy's name but that was for clerical purposes only. While not unheard of for the independent settlements to send a team to the Vytal Festival tournament, this would have been the first time any of the teams advanced beyond the primary round. Nobody truly knew what to expect from this. It wasn't like the settlements had any unifying feature. Even the name of their settlement, Epsilon Eridani didn't appear on any standard maps. Only a true geography buff like Dr. Oobleck could give a general location.

Team JAGG was lead by the dark skinned horned fanus Gao Kerena. Their other members were Jam Shid who had the same golden skinned hue as Sun; the only female of the four was Asha-Vahish who's weapon was an axe/rocket launcher combo larger then she was; the fourth one was George Baba and he was the only one anybody knew anything about.

A Gorilla Fanus he was originally from Shade Academy. His original team and another had been dispatched along with a Veteran hunter, Amber, to deal with an infestation of Silverback Grimm only to be nearly wiped. The only survivors being George and a girl who had been in a coma since the incident the year prior.

Taking her customary deep breath before heading out, Pyrrha and Ren looked across to see which of the four they would be fighting. It was George Baba and Gao Kerena. As they approached the center to wait for the terrain selection Pyrrha could heard the two talking.

"Looks like I was only partially correct George." Gao was saying. "I thought they would through the Norse Girl in with the Greek maiden."

George looked them up and down. "Can't be right all the time boss-man." He grunted.

The two made an odd pair. Gao dark skinned looked almost like a piece of burnt wood. The horns on his head were predominantly displayed and sharpened. He was straight backed and with the deep blues and blacks he wore, it was difficult to tell where clothing ended and flesh began. Geroge was just the opposite. He was hunched over with long arms and a large frame. His clothing looked like a patchwork quilt that someone had sewn into an overly large shirt with sleeves that went past his hands and paints that wouldn't look out of place on a circus clown.

"Eight points." Ren muttered to himself looking at the antlers. "Most wild game hunters would love to have that on their wall."

Two fanus vs two humans. Some were muttering in the stands that it was the faunus revoluton all over again.

"Doesn't make a big deal in the long run. Remember the plan?" Geo asked, ignoring the whispers from the peanut gallery and their opponents. All he got in response was a grunt.

Nora and Jaune were sitting front and center in the stands. The spunky girl waving her hands over her head to attract her teammates attention. "Knock their block off!" She yelled.

Juane mimed touching his back to which Pyrrha nodded and checked just to be sure. It was still there.

"All right ladies and gentlemen. Are we ready to finish off the doubles match of this tournament?" Pro. Port demanded to applause.

"SOUNDS LIKE IT PETER. AND WHAT AN ODD MATCH UP IT IS TO END THE DAY ON. THE UNKONWN TEAM JAGG VS THE WIDELY CONSIDERED BEST STUDENT IN THE SCHOOL PYRRA OF TEAM JRNP AND REN LEI. LETS SEE WHAT KIND OF TERRAN THEY ARE FIGHTING ON." Dr. Oobleck rambled before taking an overly long sip from his thermoses.

The slot wheels for the setting slowed down and stopped. "WOODS. MOUNTAIN. SWAMP. PLANE." Oobleck rattled off.

The arena changed to the appropriate parts and the match began.

George started off by charging both his opponents at the same time only to jump over them as two blades came flying at them from around him.

JRNP dodged out of the way of both attacks but broke off form each other. "I'll take the big one." Pyrrha called. "You hold off Geo until I can back you up." Ren nodded and made a dash for the horned fanus.

"The famous Pyrrha Nikos." George growled getting up from his charge. "Can't believe your playing second fiddle to a sneak thief."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked, faking surprise.

"The boss-man has it all figured out from your primary match and confirmed it by looking into his file. Your team leader lied his way in." The hunchback brought his fists up. "How does it feel to work for a liar?"

Pyrrha didn't miss a beat in her defense of her leader. "Juane has more then earned a place here."

"But what about the person he cheated out of their spot? What of that one?" George raised his fist and despite being three meters away threw a punch. What looked like a rocket on springs launched out from under his overly long sleeves forcing Pyrrha to raise her shield to block it. Peeking around she could see what looked like a boxing glove attached to a set of springs before it pulled back under the sleeves.

'Rocket fists?' She asked herself.

"Boss-man said you would defend the sneak theif. But he didn't think you knew of the betrayal." The gorilla fanus shrugged. "All well, the idea was for psychological warfare. I'll just have to beat your head in the regular way." He threw another spring loaded punch that Pyrrha ducked under and charged to close the distance and strike with her spear.

Ren had chased Gao back into the swamp area. It seemed to work in Ren's favor as the young man's machine pistols were much better at range. However he was having some trouble with his footing as each time he thought he was on solid ground he would sink up to his knees in muck.

Gao was having less trouble with the terrain but was having difficulties getting close. The leader of JAGG's weapon was a double headed ax whose blades could detach into a pair of throwing weapons while the base could work as either a club or fire a rope dart, allowing him to move quickly.

"Not much of a talker are ya?" Gao asked as he threw one of the ax heads at Ren only for it to be deflected away. "Too bad. Like to talk while I fight. Get to know the people I am up against." Gao continued as he fired the rope dart at a rock and used it to pull himself forward and kick at Ren. Ren blocked it with the blades on his guns and tried to counter but Gao was already out of range for his fists so the dark haired boy sent a line of bullets at him.

It was at that point that George went flying by the two boys and into the mountain part of the arena.

Gao was at his partner's side in an instant. "How are ya doing?"

"Curiouser and curiouser." George muttered rubbing his arm. The sleeve had been ripped away to show the flesh and gauntlet underneath. "I don't know how but my Go Gloves keep changing their trajectory and she keeps hitting me."

"It's her semblance: Polarity. She is able to make alterations to metal. I told ya about this yesterday when it was determined we would be fighting team JRNP. I told ya last night after you came back from your little errant into town. I told ya this morning over breakfast and I TOLD ya less than an hour ago!" Gao muttered furiously. "What do I need to do, tattoo it onto the back of your hand?"

George went a little red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry." He looked it too. "Think you can give me a boost?"

Pyrrha and Ren had met up as well. "How you doing?" the Champion asked her teammate.

"Not so well. I can't seem to land a hit." Was the response.

"Well I should be done with the big guy shortly and then we can tag team Gao." Pyrrha responded, looking up as the screen to see how much of George's Aura was left. What she saw nearly had her eyes pop out of her head. The long limbed Fanus' Aura was going up. Ren saw it too and they both ran over to see what was happening.

"What is this?" Professor Port asked with equal astonishment. "Why is George's Aura going up?"

Flipping through the paperwork Oobleck came up with an answer. "IT WOULD APPEAR THAT MR GAO HAS ACTIVATED HIS SEMBLANCE: SYNCHRONIZATION. WITH IT HE CAN MATCH HIS OWN AURA WITH THAT OF A TARGET AND INJECT HIS AURA DIRECTLY INTO THE SUBJECT. IT SAYS HERE THAT THOSE WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED TO IT CAN HAVE THEIR OWN AURAS RESTORED BUT THOSE THAT ARE NOT WILL HAVE IT FAID. A UNIQUE SEMBLANCE HOWEVER THERE IS A DRAWBACK." The Dr. pointed at the screen where it was obvious that Geo's Aura was going down as George's was going up. "GEO'S AURA IS LOST PROPORTIONAL TO THAT WHICH HE GIVES."

"I have never heard of that kind of Semblance before Bartholomew."

"NEITHER HAVE I PETER BUT YOU ARE SEEING IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES."

George was up on his feet again while Geo looked decidedly winded. "Think ya can cover for me for a minute while I recover?" JAGG leader asked.

George's face lit up. "Any time boss-man." He then charged out to meet both Pyrrha and Ren throwing a boxing glove at them and hitting Pyrrha in the thigh.

She and Ren backed away to look in wonder at the minor miracle that happened and tried to process it. George's punch was strong now than when he first fought the champion a few moments before.

While dodging the incoming barrage of mechanical fists, Ren couldn't help but notice that after suffering from a hit in healing George, Gao's Aura was rising as well. "Pyrrha!" He called and she saw what he meant. Escaping from George's range, the red head hoplite saw Gao in the forest area, both hands on a tree and his body aglow.

"And here is the second part of his Semblance." Port called over the speaker. "It would appear he can extract Aura from plants and slow use it to replenish his own… It looks like Team JRNP is in for an up hill battle on this one."

Jaune and Norra on the sidelines couldn't help but feel their stomachs drop out on this. How do you beat a person who can perpetually replenish aura using plant in a battleground where there are trees and grass?

Across the field, the other two members of JAGG couldn't contain their smiles. Well, Jam Shid couldn't. Whenever Asha saw Gao fight she couldn't help but smile, especially when she was having the stuffing knocked out of her because she knew that Gao would be there for her. "Think they get it yet?"

Jam was silent for second before replying, "Now they do." As both Pyrrha and Ren stopped bothering with George and went straight for the team leader. "And they are about to."

Ren provided cover forcing Geo to disregarded his recuperation to use the tree as cover while Pyrrha sprung into its branches in hopes of coming down on him only to just dodge having her face split open with by Geo's ax. She and her target clashed blades for a second before backing off. "I'm not only the healer for my team." Geo said as he kept Pyrrha between himself and Ren to prevent being caught in the crossfire. "I'm also the muscle."

With that George launched an all-out attack on the preoccupied Ren.

Pyrrha gave up on Geo for a moment to help her teammate and just missed ax blade to her head. She used Polarity to move it just a hairs breath out of the way and jumped over the rope dart aimed at her legs to launcher her shield like a disk at George's face, forcing him back.

Back to back, Ren and Pyrrha were doing the math in their heads. "Best bet is to ring out of one them and focus on the other." Ren muttered, his lips barely moving.

"Or incapacitate George and deal with Geo." Pyrrha suggests as an alternative. Then looking over the field she smiled, "and I have an idea." She pointed her chin at swamp.

George threw another of his long rang punches to try and isolate the pair. However, rather than spitting Pyrrha used her circular shield to block the blow and Ren came around her to grab onto the weapon. Both of them together threw the larger George into the swamp while Pyrrha then whipped her shield around to cut a line through the mountains that were right next to it.

Geo saw what they were trying to do and tried to intercept only for Pyrrha to switch targets and start fighting the horned one at close range while Ren unleashed a hail of bullets on the same rock face that Pyrrha just abandoned.

George found himself almost unable to move in the bog and didn't see what was going on until he felt the rocks falling onto him. The large fauns looked up just in time to see part of the cliff face falling down upon him.

"George!" Geo called as he broke the deadlock with Pyrrha only to be hit by a wave of bullets from Ren.

"Would you look at that? It would appear George is out of the game for a while and now team JNPR vs. Geo. Can he escape from this?"

With a roar no unlike the Grimm they were training to fight, Geo threw both of his axe head blades at Ren forcing the silent man to break off his attack. Pyrrha used this to try and take stab at Geo from behind. Using the metal base of his ax as a club, Geo block the blow in an arch and locked her arm in with his just as the two axe heads came back to him, and subsequently Pyrrha was in between them. Using her shield to block the flying blades, Geo took the opportunity with his free hand to strike at her wrist, forcing her to let go of her spear. He then make a half circle with his body to his back was to her and flipped her over himself.

Pyrrha's training kicked in and she automatically broke her fall but in the process lost her shield as well.

Unarmed she was easy picking for Geo as fist glowed with the same light that indicated his' semblance right to her stomach.

Ren fired a round of bullets at the horned fauns and he had to retreat from Pyrrha but not without taking her weapon.

"You ok?" Ren asked as he move to her side.

"Yes." Pyrrha muttered. But as she tried to stand up her motor function and coordination failed her. "What is wrong with my body though? I wasn't hit hard enough for a concussion."

Ren pointed to the screen that showed Aura levels and Pyrrha was shocked to find she was down to only 30%. "Remember of Professor Oobleck said about his semblance?" Ren asked. "How it overrated other peoples. Will I think he just overrode yours but as you were not use to having someone else's hit you like that it messed with your body."

Mr. Port was also announcing the same thing over the loud speakers. "However that seems to have done quite a number of Mr. Kerena as well." The robust teacher finished. And it was true. To force his Aura onto others Geo had to sacrifice some of his own and now was only about the same level as that of Ren, about 35%. The board also showed that George still had Aura but that he was having difficulty digging himself out from the mixture of swamp and rocks he found himself under.

"We need to keep the pressure on him." Pyrrha said as she tried to stand again but all of her nerve endings were misfiring and balance was impossible for the moment.

Ren nodded and moved off after the horned fauns.

Looking around the red head was able to find her shield but the spear was… "AND IT LOOKS LIKE GEO HAS JUST THROWN PYRRHA'S SPEAR CLEAR OUTSIDE OF THE ARENA. HOW WILL SHE FIGHT WITHOUT HER WEAPON?"

She grimaced in disgust at herself and knew that her mom would call her tonight for a lecture. But that was the future, right now she needed to get control of her body. Looking down at her feet she began a basic physical theory technique. "Move the toe." She muttered.

Ren and Geo were dueling again just like in the beginning however now Geo was on the full offensive and Ren was barely keeping up.

This was saying something as Nora always liked to compare him to a Ninja. Ren was faster but Geo was all around just more skilled. Using the rope dart in the base of his axe to keep switching ranges and forcing Ren to adjust. And it was showing. Ren was being worn down. His stamina slowing being chipped away at while Geo just kept coming at him like an avalanche. The only bright stop was that Ren was keeping Geo on the mountain an away from the forest or plains where he would use his semblance to recuperate Aura. But that was all.

Geo's double bladed axe came down onto Ren's head in an overarching attack that would have put the boy down for good if Pyrrha's flying circular shield didn't intercept it.

Geo pulled back from Ren so as not to be attacked from behind by the red headed hoplite. He had a small smile on his face. "I'm surprised you're still on your feet." He commented while Ren got up and retreated next to his teammate. "Most hunters are down for at least an hour after I do that to them. But then again…"

"I'm not most hunters." Pyrrha finished.

However confident she sounded, she was still in trouble. She couldn't control her semblance and without that, she couldn't call her shield back to her. For all appearance she was a huntress without a weapon.

In the stands, Nora was practically eating the railing as she leaned over. "What is Pyrrha thinking? I know she's good but nobody can fight without a weapon."

At her side, Juane was instantly trying to pull the hyper powerhouse back to the seat. "She'll be fine!" He was trying to say only to be accidentally elbowed in the face and fall back onto his own seat with what promised to be quite a black eye.

"Got a plan?" Ren asked favoring one arm. His aura had prevented most of the damage but not all and most knew that Ren was a bit of a glass cannon, could dish out a major beating didn't have the fortitude to take the same kind of punishment.

"Break right while I charge him and get my shield." Pyrrha responded. "Can't target us both."

Ren nodded and did just as told. As he ran he fired at Geo to draw the horned fauns' attention away from his unarmed teammate.

Geo did what was sensible and focused on Ren. He missed Pyrrha's approach and only at the last minute dodged the slice that would have taken his head.

Moving back and into the Plane area, he had to defend again as a sword cut out at him. As he blocked and counter attacked Geo did notice that she was using a different weapon. Wasn't that…

"FOUL." Asha Vahish called from the bleachers.

"I do believe there is a foul on the field!" Porter's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Pyrrha seems to have left the field and acquired the Crocea Mors of her team leader Juane Arc."

There was a stream of hisses from the crowd.

"I DON'T THINK SO PETER. MISS NIKOS NEVER LEFT THE ARENA. SO THE QUESTION BECOME… HOW DID SHE GET HER TEAMMATE'S WEAPON?"

As Pyrrha deflected a blow and pushed Geo further back she could see the shock on his face.

Flipping through the rule book, Professor Port rattled off "Here on page 9, it states that all weapons must be registered."

From behind them the door to the announcement booth could be heard opening and a much more even toned voice came over the speakers. "That is true, however the rules also say that one can use any item that bring with them into the arena as long as it is registered." Ozpin's smile could be heard even over the speakers. "And I do believe that Crocea Mors was attached to Miss Nikos' back when she entered."

Nora turned form the fight to the still dazed Jaune next to her. "You knew about this didn't you?" She demanded.

Jaune rubbed his head in embarrassment. "I had some free time last week and read the rulebook." He smiled sheepishly, "All of us are registered to use each other's weapons. I even asked professor Ozpin about it directly."

Nora squalled in delight and picked her blond leader up into a bear hug. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I did… can't breath…" Nora released him and Jaune splutter "I told you all the same time I talked about our combination attacks." He paused, "don't you remember?" When she shook her head no Jaune deflated. "Why do nobody listen to me?"

"SO IT IS NOT A FOUL, MERELY A HIGHLY UNORTHODOX TACTIC. VERY SURPRISING INDEED. WE MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE THE RULES BEFORE THE FINALS FOR THIS."

Pyrrha was switching up between her shield, that of Jaune's and his sword and with Ren providing cover fire Geo was on his last leg.

Both sides knew that if he got a moment to breath, he could use is semblance to regain Aura and they weren't about to give it to him.

"BOSS-MAN!" George called as he finished working himself out from underneath the rubble only to still be caught in the swamp as he saw Ren fire both of the machine pistols, one at Geo and the other at Pyrrha's angled shield to that the horned fauns was being hit from two ways and he fell to the ground with no Aura left to defend him.

Screaming, George fired one of his gloves at the nearest bit of solid ground and pulled himself out of the bog before attacking Ren and Pyrrha with wild abandonment.

However it was an attack of fury and desperation rather than a measured fight. "Do you know what it's like for him?" The gorilla fauns demanded. "To live outside your walled cities without your hunters and your technology to protect yourselves."

George punched a medium sized tree and ripped it down before turning and using it as a club. "He has to stay away for days at a time just to make sure something doesn't attack US!"

He swung at the RN but missed. "Grimm attracted by our negative emotions!" Another swing and a miss. "Humans trying to rob from us." Third strike. "The White Fang trying to force us to work for them." This swing one did hit and sent Ren flying outside of the arena. "And killing us if we don't comply." On the fifth swing the Pyrrha ran down the trunk and kicked the enraged fauns in the face, forcing him to drop the improvised weapon in pain.

However he powered through the pain even though his Aura bar read barely above the red. "That is why were are here!" A little bit of spit flew from his mouth. "To prove to you all that Epsilon Eridani will not be taken without a fight!"

Pyrrha sidestepped his rocket gloves as he made a desperate punch and in a flash struck the enraged fauns so his Aura fell to the 15% mark and the referee called the match.

Too bad George was so far gone in his own despair it didn't register as he tried to attack again, only for Geo to appear in-between his teammate and Pyrrha.

"It's over George… Calm down." Geo said in a soothing voice.

"But… but…"

"It's fine. Take a rest." Geo continued with that same reassurance.

"Ok boss-man." With those words, the large gorilla fauns fell over, he was still awake but clearly out of the fight.

"And the winner is Team JNPR!" Port called from the stands.

Pyrrha raised her hand in acknowledgement while Ren looked at his feet, feeling uncomfortable at the attention and also the fact he was knocked out.

"Way to GO!" Nora called over the crowd and tried to vault into the arena only for Jaune to hold her back. "You can't do that Nora! How does Ren handle you all the time?"

While the victorious celebrated to a cheering crowd, the defeated slunk off into the shadows.

Geo was looking down at his feet in disgust. "Don't feel bad boss-man." George said, reading his leader's mood. "We lost because of me." Geo looked up at that one. "I know I'm the weakest on the team. But when we made it to the second round, you still insisted on me going out there with you."

A small smile tugged at Geo's mouth. " 'Ya have been with us for the least amount of time, so we need ya the most'". Geo recited his reasoning for having his Fauns friend join him. "Your right George. I just… we need to be strong. For Epsilon and…" He broke off as someone stepped into view.

"How are you doing ma'am?" George asked with caution in his voice as the raven haired Cinder came into focus.

"I am fine. Thanks for asking."

After a pause with her not moving George continued, "Is there something we can do for you?"

"Perhaps." She responded coyly.

Geo stepped forward. "What does a terrorist want with us?" He asked, his voice legitimately hostile for the first time all day.

"Oh. And why would you call me that?" Cinder asked with mock surprise that didn't fool anyone.

"Facts. In the aftermath of Roman Torchwick's attack while the rest of the people were cleaning up the Grimm inside the walls I followed the White Fang survivors. Ya and that Bull were rather friendly. After that I backtracked Torchwick's movements and found ya and him disembarking of the same copter after a failed dust heist a few months back. So what do ya call a person who cavorts with an anarchist and the fauns who killed my family?"

Cinder folded her arms across over her chest and tapped her chin in mock contemplation. "All true, but why tell me this? You could lie and possible get away."

"Not likely when you come loader to hunt bear." The horned fauns pointed to the dark shadows behind himself and his partner. "You didn't even bother to change the assassin's name."

Mercury and Emerald stepped out. 

"I told you he would see us. Night vision." Mercury taunted. 

"Shut up." His green haired partner responded.

George put himself back to back with Geo with his gauntlet hands up ready for the fight. "What's the plan boss-man?" He growled, trying not to move his lips.

"We break through the two behind up. Get back out into the open and then go to the teachers. I only had an assumption and hearsay till this point but Cinder there just confirmed it. We need back up fast."

"Ok boss-man." George replied but his voice wasn't right. Looking over his shoulder Geo was just able to move out of the way in time as the large hand of a Beringel Grimm tried to crush his head. Geo rolled backward and into the waiting hands of Mercury and Emerald.

Emerald sliced down with one of her sickles and Geo barely blocked it with one of his two detached axe blades. Black tried to brink a foot down but Geo was lucky enough to kick him sideways into the girl. The horned fauns tried using to tight area to his advantage by only fighting one at a time but was punched from behind by the Beringel. He was able to roll into a crouched position and scanned the area but couldn't find George anywhere. With no other option he pulled the base and tried to launch the rope dart, hoping to make an escape… only for a hand to come down onto his wrist and crush the limb. Cinder twisted Geo's arm around his back and locked it into place before a popping sound was heard.

Geo was forced to drop his weapon as his shoulder was dislocated. In desperation he tried to swing around with his good arm to punch the woman only for her to duck underneath the blow and whisper in his ear, "Not good enough." Before grabbing the back of his head and slamming it into the wall of the passageway three times and letting him drop to the floor, one of his antlers breaking off.

"Wow." Emerald said, looking down at the fallen fauns. "He literally had nothing left did he?" She then looked as the Grimm shifted back into George's form.

"Be thankful that he did." The gorilla fauns responded, focusing on a point in the ground that was as far away from Geo as possible. "I've seen him succeed in killed Deathstalkers solo."

Mercury looked at the fauns up and down. "This animal?" He kicked Geo in the side to try and illicit a response but got none. Just as he was about to do so again then George had him by the neck. "Touch him again and I will eat you!" The traitor growled.

"Now pawn." Cinder said putting a hand on his arm to which the hunched fauns recoiled and dropped Mercury who landed evenly on his feet. "No need for that." She then cupped his face in her hand and forced George to look her in the eyes. "Not when you have been soooo helpful with us. Shadowing Amber and delivering her to us on a plate. Now helping us prevent this potentially catastrophic leak of information." She smiled at George but without any warmth. "I am so glad we tested the Atlas' technique on stealing Aura's on a Beringel."

George tried desperately not to look at her. "One request ma'am?"

"Oh, what would that be?"

"Don't kill him." George looked down at the leader he had betrayed. "He doesn't deserve it."

This got a laugh from Mercury. "You deliver six hunters in training to us on a silver platter so we can blackmail their families, feed us information on Amber's movements so we can ambush her and all but kill her and now betray your squad leader and then ask us to spare his life." The silver haired man slapped his thigh. "That's rich."

Cinder didn't take her eyes off of George but they did get a steely edge to them. "He does bring up a good point. Why do you want us to spare him?"

George looked way from Geo. "Because he is a decent person. I gave you Amber and those hunters because they were all bastards unfit to be called humans… But him. He took me in without question. Placed trust in me when Shade Academy wanted nothing to do with me and even in the fight, still tried to look out for my well-being." He met Cinder's eyes for the first time, "Someone like that shouldn't be snuffed out so ungraciously."

Cinder smiled again and dropped her hand letting George look away. "Your right of course. Such a unique semblance shouldn't go to waste." Looking down at the fallen form she said, "I'll have Neo drop him off with Adam when she picks up the aircraft we need for the next part of the plan. The White Fang can hold him until we can extract what we need."

Emerald didn't look as certain. "What about his team?"

"I can tell them that Geo went off to sulk. He has been known to do that from time to time. Especially after a major blow that he thinks he should have foreseen. That will buy us a day or two before someone starts asking question."

"It's settled them." Cinder turned and walked away. "Bring the trash with you." She said over her shoulder.

Grumbling Emerald and Mercury picked up the limp body of Geo and walked off. Leaving George alone in the dark with his own demons. The Beringel that he once was before they forced a human's Aura onto him wanted to rage and scream but he couldn't. No more then he could have help Geo. Curious George was locked in servitude to that monster of a human until he died.

Composing himself and putting on an act, he walked to greet Asha-Vahish and Jam Shid. "Where is Cernunnos?" Asha asked the moment she didn't see him. Her soft voice barely a whisper as she looked around for the fauns she named after the god she worshiped and whom she saw as his avatar.

"Went off on his own after he made sure I was good. Said something about wanting to replay the battle to himself. See if there was some way he could have worked out a victory for us." It was even, natural and perfectly in line with Geo's character. Nobody would know the lie.

Asha frowned and sulked herself. She was hoping to comfort him. Jam shook his head. "The boss can be real idiot at time. We all knew even if you made it thought the semi-finals the finals were beyond us." He then brighten up a bit. "How about we go into the festival and get him a few of his favorite peaches from a fruit stand. Those always bring a smile to his face."

Asha and George agreed and the three members of JAGG walked off into the evening.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's notes:
> 
> Ok. Started this after Vol 3 ep 7. Just saw Ep. 8 and finished it. I think I kept Cinder in character. Calm, cool and unmistakable evil. Mercury a sadist, Pyrrha a high class fighter, Ren fast and collected but with low endurance, Nora hyperactive and Jaune so worried about being a leader that he tries to give his friends any edge possible.
> 
> Now for any who care, my Original characters and their inspirations.
> 
> Gaokerena is a mythological pre-Islam tree that was said to have amazing recuperative properties. Thus the semblance. In terms of appearance, I had in mind the black skinned Germen hunting god Cernunnos who was said to be part stag. His weapon was mostly inspired by one of the weapons in the movie I, Frankenstein as used by one of the leading Gargoyles. The ax has two blades on it which can detach and be thrown only to boomerang back or be used as brass knuckles. The base is just a stick with a rope dart to cover range rather than the typical gun you see in the universe. I tried to make him in terms of abilities above Ren and just a little below Pyrrha. Enough to be able to give her a fight but in the end inferior. He is the stabilizing factor on the team keeping the others in line, much like the character Jake from the old Animorph books in the library.
> 
> George Baba went through several rewrites before I settled on this. The basic body was inspired by Wolf Goring from the anime Blassreiter as was his weapon. I was originally going to call him just Baba after the monstrous Humbaba from the epic of Gilgamesh but as I wanted him to be a gorilla fauns and a gorilla Grimm who had a human Aura forced onto him in a dry run experiment for what they did to Amber, Hambaba didn't seem appropriate. Then I remembered Velvet Scarlatina who was said to be based on the Velveteen Rabbit. So why not go with the childhood character Curious George as inspiration. Yes I know that my George is a Gorilla and but the real George has no species I know of other then 'tailless monkey'. I wanted a tragic figure who could also take out Geo so that he couldn't interrupt the canon universe. As far as I know, there is no primate based Grimm so I just took the term for a mature gorilla Silverback as the species name. It was either that or call the Grimm Hanuman after hindu monkey god but felt that would be to obscure for a general western audience.
> 
> Jam Shid is named after a cultural hero of the Near east with the same name. I really didn't come up for much of a character for him as he was only there to really round out the team but he comes from a family of farmers and loves wine and parties despite being underage. I envision him making a good wingman for Yang if they would ever cross paths.
> 
> Asha also called Asha Vahishta is a part of the theology of Zoroastrainism that represent the cardinal of truth and serpents. Her weapon was based around the Kalina Ann of Devil May Cry video games and the halberd/rifles used by Wutai in Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core. In terms of appearance, I have no real model for her except a short and physically under developed a soft spoken young woman who was forced as a young child to see her family killed by Grimm only to be saved by Geo but not before she was forced to eat a dead Grimm before it disintegrated to keep herself alive. She is also enamored by Geo but while he respects her as a friend, feels she might be misinterpreting romantic love for hero worship and wants her to experience the world.


End file.
